Thursday, 19 February 2026 · 14:00-15:00 CET

Reduction in Action:

Optimizing Mouse Breeding to Save Animals, Time, and Budget

Free webinar (via Google Meet)

Up to 1,000 registered participants
First 500 to log in will have interactive access (full participation)
Additional participants will join in view-only mode
Recording available exclusively to registered participants
Certificates of attendance provided to all live attendees (interactive and view-only)

Speaker

Prof. Thorsten Buch, PhD, is Head of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Science at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He is an internationally recognized expert in laboratory animal science, with a strong focus on mouse breeding, colony management, and the practical implementation of the 3Rs, particularly Reduction.

Prof. Buch has led and contributed to influential GV-SOLAS guidance documents and peer-reviewed publications that translate genetic theory, biostatistics, and real-world breeding data into concrete, usable tools for animal facilities and researchers. His work addresses one of the major ethical and operational challenges in modern biomedical research: minimizing surplus animals while ensuring robust experimental design. By combining Mendelian genetics, fertility data, and probabilistic modeling, he has helped establish evidence-based breeding strategies that reduce animal numbers, save time, and lower costs without compromising scientific quality.

Abstract

Mouse breeding should be planned, not guessed. This webinar shows how to design breeding programs that meet study needs without surplus animals, last-minute stress, or unnecessary costs. Prof. Buch explains how Mendelian inheritance and biological variability affect outcomes, then translates GV-SOLAS guidance and real facility data into simple, practical strategies. You’ll learn when cohort breeding is the right choice, when a colony approach works better, and how to size breeder numbers using simple probability, and why single-sex designs often increase animal use. The session also covers age windows, breeder replacement, line stability, and realistic use of IVF and cryopreservation, with a focus on changes you can apply the very next day.

Reference list:

Schenkel, J., Nagel-Riedasch, S., Zevnik, B., & Buch, T. (2025). Breeding Planning for Laboratory Mice. Laboratory Animals, 59(3), 415. https://doi.org/10.1177/00236772251342983
Jerchow, B., Schenkel, J., Nagel-Riedasch, S., Zevnik, B., & Buch, T. (2024). Breeding planning for laboratory mice (Specialist information from the Committee for Genetics and Laboratory Animal Breeding; Status August 2024). GV-SOLAS. ISBN 978-3-943445-16-9.
Milchevskaya, V., Bugnon, P., ten Buren, E. B. J., Vanhecke, D., Brand, F., Tresch, A., & Buch, T. (2023). Group size planning for breedings of gene-modified mice and other organisms following Mendelian inheritance. Lab Animal, 52, 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-023-01213-1

Learning outcomes

Recognise how structured database tracking can be used to identify breeding lines that require review or intervention.
Understand why relying on simple Mendelian ratios often underestimates real breeding needs, and how statistical planning improves accuracy.
Distinguish between situations where continuous breeding is appropriate and when cryopreservation is the better option.
Evaluate how using both sexes in study design can substantially reduce breeding demand.
Identify and apply free, practical calculation tools to support realistic breeding planning.

Key takeaways

Data tracking is essential for spotting inefficient or unstable breeding lines early.
Mendelian ratios alone are not enough; realistic planning requires basic statistical thinking.
Cryopreservation is a strategic tool, not a default solution for colony management.
Thoughtful use of both sexes can dramatically lower the number of animals bred.
Simple, freely available tools can replace guesswork and overbreeding in day-to-day planning.

Pre-webinar survey (2 min)

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